Preview
%
READ
Why Live with Others When We Can Do So Much on Our Own?
Our lives have become remarkably convenient. We can do our shopping on a smartphone and have meals delivered without having to cook. There is no need to buy a ticket at the station, and we can pay in a store without exchanging a word with a cashier. When we want to know something, we no longer have to ask another person. Videos, search engines, and AI can answer most of our questions.
Things that once required someone else's help can now be done on our own. That is an enormous freedom.
Yet the more we can do alone, the fewer reasons we have to exchange a few words with someone. This article is about the time we spend with others that lies beyond the pursuit of efficiency.
📖 Contents
☕ What We Found in the Things That Used to Be a Hassle
Life in the past was not better in every way. Accommodating other people can be tiring, and having to rely on someone else can limit your freedom. There is no reason to give up convenience.
Still, some of the things we have reduced because they seemed like a hassle may also have been opportunities to connect with people. A short conversation with a shop assistant. A greeting exchanged with a neighbor. Asking someone for directions. Cooking together and waiting for the food to be ready. If efficiency is all that matters, we can manage perfectly well without them. Even so, those moments brought a human warmth to the day.
While the things we need are now readily available, opportunities to let someone else know how our day has been may be quietly slipping away.
🌃 Loneliness Is About More Than Having No One Around
Tokyo is full of people. Its trains, stations, and shops are always crowded. Yet we can still feel lonely.
Loneliness does not necessarily mean being alone. It can mean that nobody knows what kind of day you have had. That something wonderful happens, but there is no one you can tell right away. That you come home exhausted, but nobody notices the change in you. Perhaps we feel lonely, even surrounded by people, when our lives do not intersect with anyone else's.
🍳 A Slightly Less Convenient Way to Live
In a share house, things sometimes do not go exactly as you would like. Someone is using the kitchen just when you want to. You can hear voices from the living room. You are a little more aware of other people's presence than you would be if you lived alone.
But those small inconveniences can also be where conversations begin. A smell drifts from the kitchen: a dish you would never make yourself. “That smells good.” “Would you like to try some?” Just a few minutes of conversation can make the day feel a little different.
Living with others includes moments whose value cannot be measured by efficiency alone. Waiting. Making room for someone. Lending a hand. Talking about nothing in particular. These do not produce a visible result. But there are days when those small exchanges leave you feeling a little lighter.
Of course, there are also days when you want to be alone, without having to think about anyone else. There will be days when waiting to use the kitchen simply feels annoying. Even so, after you finish cooking and return to your room, you may find yourself remembering that casual conversation and feeling glad someone was there.
Perhaps that is part of what makes a home good in a way that convenience alone cannot explain.
What Do We Choose Beyond Convenience?
How would you like to spend the time that convenience has freed up? Time to relax on your own and time around a table with other people both matter. You can choose an everyday life that makes room for both.
There are people around you whose lives are different from your own, and every so often you exchange a few words. There is no pressure to talk; you can spend time in the same place, each doing your own thing. Now that we can do so much on our own, perhaps the reason to live with others lies in these small moments.
If that kind of life interests you, explore the properties on TOKYO SHAREHOUSE. How much you feel the presence of others varies from house to house. Find a way of living with a balance of company and personal space that feels comfortable for you.
TOKYO SHAREHOUSE Editorial Team
Search by theme
Recommended Articles
Disclaimer
*Tokyosharehouse (LLC) does not carry out the administration of specific services that may be deemed as unfair toward other users or serve as an intermediary for moving into housing. For any questions regarding specific services or moving, please directly contact the owner or manager of the share house you wish to inquire about through our website. Also, please be aware that we cannot provide the contact information of the share house managers or owners.
